Shank stiffener and adjustable metatarsal support



0d. 22, 1935. D, SHERMAN 2,018,386

SHANK STIFFENER AND ADJUSTABLE METATARSAL SUPPORT Filed Aug. 27, 1934 IN VENTOR: D. .Sh er/776W?l ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 onirico STATES PATENT OFFICE SHANK STIFFENER AND ADJUSTABLE 'METATARSAL SUPPORT Davi-dSherman, Kansas City, Mo.

Application August 27, 1934, Serial No. 741,557

2 Claims.

of the foot.

Accordingly I have provided a simple form of supporting'means comprising a minimum number of parts built into the shank portion of the shoe in proper position for exerting the desired supporting and bracing function.

It is another important feature of the invention to provide a construction of this character which will include effective provision for adjusting the parts of the device in such a way as to vary the bracing and supporting action to meet the particular needs of the wearer.

With these general objects in view the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a practical construction which I have devised for accomplishing the desired objects, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View showing a shoe provided with a supporting and bracing means constructed in accordance with the pres ent invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a shoe having a part of the device in place preparatory to attachment of the outer sole carrying the remaining portion of the device;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the outer sole containing said remaining portion of the device, ready to be attached in place;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view, representing a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section similar to that shown in Figure 1 but on a larger 'scale and showing the supporting structure in a different position of adjustment;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the shoe on a smaller scale and partly broken away to show the upper face of the insole and exposed portion of the supporting device, and with broken lines indicating the outline of the remainder of said device; and

Figure '7 is a enlarged detail sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, this illustrates a conventional form of shoe construction comprising the usual inner sole I8 with its Welt portion I I, the outer sole I2 and the heel portion I4. The present invention provides a supporting structure accommodated between the inner sole I0 and outer sole I2 along their shank portions and overlying a portion of the heel seat.

This supporting structure comprises a pair. or"

cooperating metal pieces or plates I5, I6, prefu5A erably of steel and having relatively stiff and nonL-corrosive properties, the upper plate or supporting member I5 directly underlying the inner sole II) and having its rear end suitably tacked, as indicated at Il, at the heel seat, and having its 10 forward end formed with a suitably convex' face I8 exposed through an opening 28 in the inner sole and located in position for supporting the metatarsal bones, just to the rear of the metatarsal ljoints of the foot (see Figures 1, 5, and 6). The 15 margin of the opening 2@ of the inner sole is skived to a feather edge around the convex face I8 of the upper plate I5, as indicated in Figures 1, f4, and 5.

Thus I provide a smooth convex surface I8 for 20 contact with the foot, and the construction is such that the aperture 28'with its feather edge margin accommodates Whatever adjustment of the plate I5 is made necessary by the individual foot, without any material break in the combined curved 25 contour of the upper face of the inner sole and the top surface of said convex face I8 exposed by the aperture 28, since it will be seen that the smoothlying feather edge structure preserves a substantially even convex contour all around said open- 30 ing for all such adjusted positions of the plate I5.

To the rear of said opening 20 the under side ofthe inner sole is gouged or cut out sufficiently for accommodating the supporting elements between the welt strips II along the shank of the 35 shoe (see Figure '7). To insure further against any relative movement of said plates I5 and I6, excepting at their forward foot-supporting ends, they are securely held together by means of lugs 22, formed upon one of the plates and extending 40 through square notches provided in the sides of the other plate and bent into clenching relation to the latter, as represented in Figure '1.

The construction above described provides a two-plate supporting means for the arch and 4:5 metatarsal region of the foot as it bears upon the convex portion I8 of the upper plate member l5. I also provide means for varying the supporting action of this structure with reference to the metatarsal region of the foot, as follows. To the under face of the convex portion I8 is suitably secured (as by soldering) an internally threaded socket piece 25 for engagement with a similarly threaded plug element 26 carried by a screw Z'I which is journaled in an eyelet 28 set 55 in the outer sole l2, the head of said screw 21 being exposed at the outerY face of the outer sole l2, as represented in Figures l, 4, and 5. The lower plate I6 Yis provided with a curved seat 30 oppositesaid :eyelet and with an opening for passage of the screw 21; and to produce a waterproof assembly, suitable packing, as indicated at 3l, is

Aprocess of turning the screw 21, the supporting plates or elements IE-'i may loe-spread to a greater'or Yless extent apart-from the position f shown in Figure l, representing a relatively low degree of the supporting function, to any desired intermediate position such as illustrated in Figure 5, representing the upper plate in a more elevated position for a correspondingly increased degree of the supporting function, to meet the needs of the individual foot.

By the foregoing construction I have therefore provided a Idevice of very simple and compact form for being built into the shoe as a component part of the same, and which will afford not only all the necessary supporting action for the arch and the metatarsal region of the foot, but also provide appropriate means for such regulation of said supporting and bracing action as may be required for meeting the requirements of Y the particular foot with which the shoe is worn.

The point of operation of this adjustment being exposed at the exterior of the shoe, Ythe same is presented in the most convenient and accessible manner forY the regulation of such adjustment, so that the wearer of the shoe may readily take care of it himself in an easy and quick manner and as often as may prove necessary. 'Ihe location of the adjusting screw is suiciently to Vthe rear of the tread portion of the sole, so as not to interfere `in any way with such repairs, as

half-soling or the like; and moreover there is no danger of moisture creeping in by way of said adjusting assembly, by reason of its being rendered waterproof by the packing feature above described. k

While the foregoing represents one preferred form of embodiment of my improvement, I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make whatever changes or modifications may fairly be deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- V 1. A shank stiffener and metatarsal support for shoes comprising, in combination with the inner and outer soles of a shoe, a. pair of plates interposed between said inner'and outer soles along the shank and ball regions thereof, the forward end of the upper plate having a convex portion in foot-supporting relation to the metai tarsal region of the foot, said inner sole having a feather-edged opening rsurrounding said con- Vex portion of the upper plate, and adjusting means operable from the outer face of the outer soie for raising and lowering said forward end of the upper plate.

2. A shank stiffener and metatarsal support for shoes comprising, in combination with Vthe inner andV outer soles of a shoe, a pair of plates interposed between said innerand outer soles along the shank and ball regions thereof, the plateadjacent to. said outer sole being formed with an apertured concave seat, adjustingV means comprising a screw element extending through the aperture in said seat and operable for spreading said plates to a greater or less extent apart and thereby correspondingly regulating the elevation of the metatarsal region of the inner sole, and packing means fitting said concave seat for tightly sealing the aperture for said adjusting screw and maintaining said adjusting means in waterproof condition.

DAVID SHERMAN. 

